Pictures of the week brings you the best images over the past seven days from around the world, chosen by our very own photo editors, Elliot Wagland, Tahira Mirza and Michael Cripps.
pics of the week
(01 of29)
12,000 Color Runners take part in the 'Happiest 5k on the Planet', turning Dubai Autodrome into a giant rainbow! The Color Run presented by Daman's ActiveLife saw Color Runners walk, run, cartwheel and dance around the 5km fun run course, getting covered in colored powder along the way. They were greeted at the finish line with the biggest and best Finish Festival in town at Dubai Autdrome on November 29, 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images for IMG) (credit:Warren Little via Getty Images)
(02 of29)
These tiny little sugar gliders are lucky to be alive after surviving a cat attack that killed their mother. Somehow the youngsters, who were just a few days old at the time, and the size of jellybeans, survived and were rushed to the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in Queensland, Australia. Here they have received round-the-clock care and are now several months old. However, the miniscule orphans still have a lot of growing to do and will remain at the hospital for another three months before being released into the wild. At the moment they weigh just 12 grams - about a fifth of the weight of a Mars bar - but will weigh around 230 grams as adults. According to chief vet Dr Michael Pyne the plight of the young joeys is sadly not an unusual one. "These guys [sugar gliders] are nocturnal and cats tend to get at them a bit because the night is when they do their hunting. "In this case a cat has killed the mother and fortunately the people who found them were smart enough to look in the pouch and find the joeys." (credit:REX/Adam Head / Newspix)
(03 of29)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 3: Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett promote their new CD Cheek to Cheek at Good Morning America in New York City on December 3, 2014. Credit: RW/MediaPunch/IPX (credit:RW/MediaPunch/IPx)
(04 of29)
Valencia's Argentinian defender Nicolas Otamnedi (R) reacts next to Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar da Silva Santos Junior during the Spanish league football match Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on November 30, 2014. (credit:JOSE JORDAN via Getty Images)
(05 of29)
A surfer rides a big wave during a tow-in surfing session at the Praia do Norte or North beach, in Nazare, Portugal, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. A tow-in is a surf technique in which the athlete is towed into a large wave by a partner driving a jet-ski with an attached tow-line. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) (credit:AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
(06 of29)
David and Victoria Beckham pose for photographers on arrival at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, on Sunday Nov 30, 2014 in Central London. (Photo by Grant Pollard/Invision/AP) (credit:Grant Pollard/Invision/AP)
(07 of29)
SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 02: In this handout photo provided by SeaWorld San Diego, mom and baby killer whale swim together at SeaWorld San Diego's Shamu Stadium December 4, 2014 in San Diego, California. Kalia, a 10-year-old killer whale, gave birth to the calf at 12:34 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, under the watchful eyes of SeaWorld's zoological team. The calf is estimated to weigh between 300 and 350 pounds and measure 6 to 7 feet. The gender of the calf is not yet known. As with any killer whale birth, the mother and calf are being observed round the clock for the first few weeks. (Photo by Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld San Diego via Getty Images) (credit:Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld San Diego via Getty Images)
(08 of29)
Residents from the New Era estate in east London, originally built as affordable housing for local workers, pose for a selfie with their supporter British comedian Russell Brand, top right, just before handing a petition into 10 Downing Street, Monday, Dec. 1, 2014. The residents of the estate, comprising of 93 families, are demanding that U.K. leaders prevent U.S. property investment firm Westbrook Partners from raising rents to market levels. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(09 of29)
Prime Minister David Cameron visits Stonehenge in Wiltshire, as the Government announced a 15bm investment into Britian's roads. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Wire)
(10 of29)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: (Back row L-R) Stephen Fry, Luke Evans, Andy Serkis, Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch (front row L-R) Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, Philippa Boyens, Ryan Gage and Aidan Turner attend the World Premiere of 'The Hobbit: The Battle OF The Five Armies' at Odeon Leicester Square on December 1, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/WireImage) (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
(11 of29)
Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch arrive at the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the London Palladium in central London. (credit:Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
(12 of29)
Fog spreads accross an agriculture field in the early morning on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Lahore on December 4, 2014. UN nations have vowed to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. Scientists say Earth is on course for roughly twice this amount by the end of the century -- a recipe for worse droughts, floods, storms and rising seas. (credit:ARIF ALI via Getty Images)
(13 of29)
KEYNSHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: Floral tributes are placed beside Ben Pocock's coffin following his funeral service at St John's Church on December 1, 2014 in Keynsham, England. The 20-year-old student from Bristol was killed in July in the Malaysian Airlines MH17 air crash in Ukraine. Ben Pocock, who was studying International Business and was travelling to Australia to study, was on the plane that came down in the east of the country, killing all 298 people on board. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) (credit:Matt Cardy via Getty Images)
(14 of29)
NASA's Orion spacecraft, atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket, lifts off on its first unmanned orbital test flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(15 of29)
Singer Taylor Swift performs at the Victoria's Secret fashion show in London, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) (credit:Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
(16 of29)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Prince Harry attends The Annual ICAP Charity Day at ICAP on December 3, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Heathcliff O'Malley - WPA Pool /Getty Images) (credit:WPA Pool via Getty Images)
(17 of29)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 03: Model Katie Price launches her new fragrance 'Kissable Fierce' at The Worx on December 3, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/WireImage) (credit:Eamonn McCormack via Getty Images)
(18 of29)
Angelina Jolie At The Daily Show with Jon Stewart NYNEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 4: Angelina Jolie stops to greet fans after an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart after promoting her new movie Unbroken on December 4, 2014 in New (credit:RW/MediaPunch/IPX)
(19 of29)
IVER HEATH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: (L to R) Andrew Scott, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, director Sam Mendes, Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Dave Bautista and Rory Kinnear attend the photocall to announce the start of the production of the 24th Bond Film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios on December 4, 2014 in Iver Heath, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
(20 of29)
IVER HEATH, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: The new Aston Martin DB10 at the photocall to announce the start of the production of the 24th Bond Film 'Spectre' at Pinewood Studios on December 4, 2014 in Iver Heath, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)
(21 of29)
Lily Aldridge, Candice Swanepoel, Doutzen Kroes and Alessandra Ambrosio on the catwalk during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2014 held at Earls Court, London England. (credit:Doug Peters/Doug Peters)
(22 of29)
Ian McKellen (left), Graham Norton (top) and One Direction during filming of the Graham Norton Show at the London Studios, in central London. (credit:Ian West/PA Wire)
(23 of29)
Police make arrests after protesters rallying against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner attempted to block traffic at the intersection of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue near Times Square, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(24 of29)
In this picture provided by the Prague Zoo and taken on, Monday Dec. 1, 2014, shows three of the newly born cheetah quadruplets yawning. The zoo says the four who have been born on Nov. 21, 2014 have survived the most critical period after the birth and their mother, the three-year-old Savannah, is taking good care of them. (AP Photo/Petr HamernÃk, Zoo Praha) (credit:AP Photo/Petr HamernÃk, Zoo Praha)
(25 of29)
Michael Baxter displays his Simpsons cartoon tattoo's at the Australian Tattoo and Body Art Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. Featuring 203 characters by tattoo artist Jade Baxter-Smith the body art took 130 hours and 15 sittings. The grandfather whose favourite Simpsons character is Homer Simpson hopes his collection will win him a Guinness World Record for most cartoon characters tattoed on the body. (credit:AAP Image/Julian Smith)
(26 of29)
President Barack Obama greets Santa on stage during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
(27 of29)
An afternoon storm moves across Sydney, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. (credit:AAP Image/ Nikki Short)
(28 of29)
Tabitha, six, (surname not given) from Sussex chooses her lantern for the Kew Gardens Wild Lantern Festival at Wakehurst Place in Sussex, a four day event at the 500 acre country estate which also contains Britain's tallest Christmas tree. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
(29 of29)
The Christmas tree shines in Trafalgar Square after the lighting ceremony in London, England, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014. The tree, a gift to the people of London from the people of Norway, has been given by the Norwegian capital Oslo since 1947, as a token of gratitude for Britain's support during World War II. (credit:AP Photo/Tim Ireland)